The present invention is directed to a portable cooling or heating system suitable for use on vehicle such as a car, plane or boat, that does not have its own air conditioning system.
A variety of vehicles,typically smaller cars, airplanes, and boats, do not have their own cooling/heating system. In hot or cold weather these vehicles can be very uncomfortable. The addition of an add-on air conditioning system to a vehicle is a complex and expensive undertaking. With respect to certain airplanes, it is very difficult to install an add-on system because of available engine power, and certain FAA regulations severely restrict such add-ons. Adding a typical commercially available air conditioning system with either an electrical compressor or a belt driven compressor is not feasible for many vehicles. Electrical compressors typically require 50 to 100 amps of power or morexe2x80x94which exceed the available power in many vehicles. A belt driven unit requires a significant amount of horse power which is not available in many vehicles. Thus, there has long been a need for a portable cooling/heating system for vehicles without such a system.
One such cooling system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,685,165 (Bigelow). This air-conditioning system included a fan with a radiator that sits on top of an open ice chest. A pump pumps a heat exchange fluid typically water taken from an ice-water mixture contained in the ice-chest, through a hose into the radiator, from which the fluid flows back into the ice chest. A single housing enclosed the radiator and fan, and is attached to a collapsible frame which enables a user to position and angle the fan above the open ice chest. The fan pulls air through a back end of the radiator, which cools the air, and then blows the cooled air out through a front end of the radiator. In an alternative embodiment, the fan""s housing and frame rest on top of a closed ice chest, and the hose through which the heat exchange fluid flows enters the ice chest through openings drilled in the lid of the ice chest. The power requirements of this air-conditioning unit are rather substantial for a vehicle battery, since power is needed for both the fan and the pump.
Another cooling system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,062,281 (Oliphant, et al.). The cooling system of this device is intended to be used with an 8 to 32 ounce cup of ice water or some other appropriate fluid. The cooling unit is dimensioned to fit into the top of a cup, and contains two small batteries, typically C-size batteries, an intake fan with an on/off switch, and an air exit opening. When on, the fan pulls air in through an intake opening into contact with the fluid mixture in the cup. The fluid mixture can be either hot or cold, depending upon whether the device is to be used for cooling or heating. The air, either cooled or heated, then exits through a spout shaped air exit opening. This device is useful for an individual to cool or warm oneself, but is insufficient for cooling or heating a cabin of a vehicle, such as a boat or airplane.
Thus, there has long been a need for such a system which is small enough so that it does not occupy an inordinate amount of space, yet is efficient enough to heat or cool the vehicle so its passengers are comfortable, and not place undue demands on the vehicles"" electrical power supply system. There is also need for a portable air-conditioning system that utilizes a portable ice chest without compromising its primary function of cooling food and beverages.
One embodiment of the present invention includes a cooling unit sized to fit inside a commercially available, insulated ice chest. Many such ice chests have a ridge on the inside of the chest upon which the cooling unit of the invention can rest. The cooling unit itself includes a fan to draw air from outside into the ice chest, and an exhaust vent by which air can exit the ice chest. The fan on the cooling unit can have an electrical connection for connection to an electrical power supply. When the ice chest is filled with ice, the air drawn into the chest by the fan and vented through the exhaust vent is cooled by movement through the ice. The cooling unit can optionally include an air directional wall that extends vertically downward from the cooling unit into the chest to force air into contact with the ice. In a second embodiment of the invention, the ice chest itself is modified, so that the air intake motor assembly is mounted in one side wall of the ice chest, and the air exhaust vent is mounted in a wall opposite of the wall with the motor assembly.
Similarly, the ice chest can be filled with hot water to heat the air being drawn into the chest, so that the device of the present invention can serve as a heating unit.
In all embodiments, the ice chest can also be used to store food and beverages.